Not only that, the transport policy would be extended to allow students to travel for free on public transport at any time.

At present students have to live at least 2.3 kilometres from their primary school, or 2.9 kilometres from their high school to qualify for free public transport.

Wollongong MP Paul Scully said this led to “anomalies” where students a few metres inside the boundaries are denied a bus pass.

Also, the Opal school cards only cover travel to and from school; students need a second Opal card for all other travel.

But if elected, Labor’s policy would do away with that, allowing free travel to students while they’re still at school.

“At this stage it is just on the Opal network, that is the limitation but our intention is to extend it further and roll it out to the rest of the state,” Mr Scully said.

“It is free travel for school-age children, weekends, public holidays, school holidays  – the lot.”

The decision would cost Labor at least $44 million – that is the amount the Berijiklian government had forecast it would recoup from charging children public transport fares.

Mr Scully conceded the plan came at a cost but he felt it was worth it to encourage children to use public transport.

“When you talk about a future Labor government that would be firmly focused on putting public transport before tollways, a good thing to do is to make public transport as accessible as possible to take the pressure off the family budget,” Mr Scully said.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance claimed Labor’s free public transport deal could cost more than $1 billion if at least 90 per cent of students took advantage of it.

“Our current program to give free Opal travel for school kids costs over half a billion dollars a year – and that covers around half of all school children,” Mr Constance said.

“[Labor leader Michael] Daley wants to extend that to everyone and to all travel, and yet thinks he can cover it with only $44 million. That’s simply not possible.”